Handle



March 1 E. WOR'i'HIN GTON v 2,277,739

HANDLE Filed Aug. 8, 1939 Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STA ES Tsar or ies,

HANDLE Everett Worthington, deceased, late of S'carsdale; N. Y., by Lucile Worthington, administratrix, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, New York, Nr Y., a

New Jersey corporationofi 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a handle for luggage such as a lunch kit, box or the like and has particular reference to a handle having an improved collapsing feature.

An object of the invention is the provision of a collapsible link held handle for luggage wherein the links are free to slide relative to the luggage on which they are retained so that the handle when not in use may be readily collapsed to closely hug the top of the luggage and thus be out of the way.

Another object is the provision of such a handle wherein the holding lugs are provided with inclined planes which guide the sliding links back into holding position when the handle is raised ready for use in carrying the luggage.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective Wiew of a luggage handle embodying the instant invention, the view showing the handle in carrying position and illustrating the handle secured to a piece of luggage, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l and illustrating the handle in collapsed position as when not in use, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the handle taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken substantially along the lines 4-4 and 55 in Fig. 3.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing illustrates a sheet metal handle or hand grip H attached by links l2 to a piece of luggage l3 which may be a lunch kit, case, box or other suitable container, only a portion of the luggage being shown. The hand grip may be of any suitable tubular design which conveniently fits the hand of a user, such as for example the design shown in the drawing.

The ends of the hand grip are preferably formed into rectangular outer members l5 each of which is provided with a depending flange I6 along two sides and at the outer end thereof. The outer end flanges I6 are formed with inwardly and upwardly extending or curled hinge lugs The links l2 are preferably made from stiff round wire and are bent into a rectangular shape having straight sides 2| which merge into straight connecting ends 22*. The outerend 22 of eachlink is disposed in the hinge lugs ll of the-hand grip as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The opposite or inner ends of the links are respectively slidably retained in bracket members 25 which are secured to the luggage l3.

Eachbracket 25 (-Fig. 1) is formed with a base plate 26 which seats against the luggage and is held in place by'a turned-under lug 21 provided at the outer end of the plate. The lug extends through a slot 28 formed in the luggage. The plate at its inner end merges into a carrier loop 30 in which the inner end of one of the links I2 is engaged.

The carrier loop includes an upright end wall section 3| which merges at its upper end into a relatively long inclined hop plane section 32. This inclined plane section extends inwardly and downwardly toward the luggage and forms the top or link engaging section of the loop. At its inner end the inclined plane section merges into a depending end wall section 33 the lower edgeof which rests on top of the luggage. An end lug 35 formed on the depending wall section extends through a slot 36 in the luggage and is bent upwardly against the under side thereof so that the bracket will be held in place. Such a construction of the brackets 25 and their carrier loops 30 affords an ample space 31 between the luggage and the inclined plane 32 in which space the inner ends 22 of the links l2 are confined and are adapted to slide.

When the handle H is in collapsed position (Fig. 2) as when not in use, the links I2 slide inwardly within the bracket spaces 31 and thereby permit the handle to rest on top of the bracket base plates 26 so that it closely hugs the top of the luggage. The bottom of the handle adjacent its end members I 5 is cut away to form clearance openings 38 (Fig. 3) therein so that the inclined plane 32 of the brackets will be inside the handle when the latter is in collapsed position. The inner edges marked 39, of these openings serve as stops for locating the collapsed handle and fo preventing endwise shifting thereof.

When it is desired to use the handle for carrying the luggage it is merely necessary to lift it upwardly. This action draws the links [2 outwardly and upwardly against the inclined plane 32. The plane being inclined outwardly permits easy sliding of the link ends therealong and also insures that the links ride out to the outer ends of the carrier loops 30 so that the handle will properly balance the load of the luggage.

With this construction the carrier loops may be made long enough to permit the use of long links l2. Hence when the handle is raised into carrying position, space is provided between the handle and the luggage so that sufiiclent clearance for the hand of the user is present.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A handle for luggage and the like, comprising in combination, a hand grip member, a pair of links the outer ends of which are hingedly connected to the opposite ends of said hand grip, and a pair of spaced bracket members secured to the luggage adjacent the opposite ends of the hand grip and having integral stationary and elongated carrier loops in which the inner ends of said links are engaged, the inner ends of said links being slidable inwardly within said carrier loops to permit said hand grip member to be collapsed tightly against the luggage when the hand grip is not in use, said hand grip member having cut away portions on the inner wall thereof adjacent its opposite ends to house and telescope over said bracket members when said hand grip member is in collapsed position.

2. A handle for luggage and the like, comprising in combination, a hollow sheet metal hand grip member having openings in the bottom thereof the edges of which provide grip locating stops, a pair of links the upper ends of which are hingedly connected to the ends of said hand grip member, and a pair of spaced brackets secured to the luggage adjacent the ends of the hand grip member and having integral stationary and elongated carrier loops in which the lower ends of said links are engaged, the lower ends of said links being slidable inwardly within said carrier loops to permit said hand grip member to be collapsed tightly against the luggage when not in use, said carrier loops telescoping within said hand grip member through the openings therein and engaging the locating stops adjacent said openings for holding the collapsed grip against shifting relative to the luggage.

LUCILE WORTHINGTON, Administratria: of the Estate of Everett Worthington, deceased. 

